Principal Guardian

Office of the Public Guardian QLD; Rockhampton Regional; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Office of the Public Guardian QLD in Rockhampton is seeking a Principal Guardian to lead complex decision making and advocacy for adults with impaired capacity. You will oversee structured decision making, health care decisions, and guardianship activities, ensuring rights and preferences are central in every action.

The role involves mentoring a small guardianship team, maintaining accurate documentation, and advising the Public Guardian and delegates on behaviours support.

Qualifications

• Possession of a C class driver's licence is a mandatory requirement for this role.
• Travel to attend meetings, events and visits in multiple locations may be required, including overnight travel to regional areas.

Responsibilities

• Undertake structured decision making in complex/conflicted situations adhering to organisational policies, practice directions and legislative frameworks.
• Participate in health care decision making including working weekends and public holidays as required.
• Provide mentoring and support to a small team of guardianship staff to ensure they achieve performance standards.
• Ensure all client-related documentation and guardianship activities are recorded accurately, including reports and notes.
• Provide professional advice and support to the Public Guardian and delegates, particularly on positive behaviours support and restrictive practices.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders including community groups and government departments.
• Participate in community education/liaison activities as a representative of the Public Guardian including public speaking.
• Use professional experience to evaluate and interpret behaviours support documents from a human rights perspective.

Skills

Mentoring

Public speaking

Stakeholder liaison

Documentation management

Job description

Office of the Public Guardian QLD – Rockhampton QLD

The Principal Guardian conducts complex and sensitive structured personal and health care decision making and advocacy for adults with impaired capacity where the Public Guardian acts as appointed guardian or attorney or as statutory health attorney of last resort. Principal Guardians ensure a client's rights, interests, views, wishes and preferences are elevated and centred in all decision making and advocacy activities.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is an independent statutory office established to protect the rights and interests of adults with impaired decision making capacity, and children and young people in the child protection system and other visitable sites.

Join us as we protect, support, advocate, educate and empower, to build a Queensland where our most vulnerable community members can live with dignity.

Your key responsibilities

• Undertake structured decision making in complex/conflicted situations adhering to organisational policies, practice directions and organisational and legislative frameworks.
• Participate in health care decision making including working weekends and public holidays as required.
• Provide mentoring and support to a small team of guardianship staff to ensure they achieve the performance standards expected by the Office of the Public Guardian.
• Ensuring all client-related documentation and guardianship activities are appropriately recorded, accurate and up-to-date, including Guardianship reports, decision reports, visit reports, health care decisions and file running notes.
• Provide professional level advice, information and support to the Public Guardian and their delegates, particularly in relation to positive behaviours support and restrictive practices.
• Liaise with and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders including community groups, government departments and other agencies involved in providing services to adults with impaired decision-making capacity.
• Participate in community education/ liaison activities as a representative of the Public Guardian including undertaking public speaking engagements.
• Use professional experience and expertise to evaluate and interpret behaviours support documents from an evidence based and human rights perspective

Qualifications and conditions

Possession of a C class driver's licence is a mandatory requirement for this role, as travel is required to attend meetings, events and visits in a range of locations that are often not accessible by alternative means. Guardianship activities may include overnight travel to regional areas for up to a week.

Applications to remain current for 12 months.

Job Ad Reference: QLD/706995/26

Closing Date: Wednesday, 2nd December 2026